A good starting point is to reassess your outgoings and discover whether you could be better off switching your utility bills to another supplier.  Consider all options, including some you may not have thought of before, such as trying British Gas electricity as well as gas, or changing satellite to Freeview.

Cutting back on certain luxuries and reining in expenses where they are not necessary is a great way to cut monthly outgoings.  However, there are certain overheads that are essential to the running of your home or business.  Where in the past many people have been put off switching electricity suppliers or other amenity providers, this is now commonplace.

Utility bills make up a huge percentage of household outgoings each month, but many people have never considered shopping around for better deals.  A common misconception is that changing from one company to another is a long and complex process, when in actual fact it’s fairly simple and in order to create a fair marketplace, companies must not make the transition unnecessarily difficult.

There are many different energy packages available and lots of fuel tariffs for the home now offer fixed or variable rate depending on personal preference.  Fixed rate stay locked in at the same price for a set amount of time regardless of the cost of energy, while variable rate tariffs change along with the cost of energy, meaning customers benefit if this price falls. In the same way that some folks are the gambling type, others prefer not to take risks; energy tariffs either offer no risk with no chance of gain, or risk but with the chance of loss as well.

Whilst you’re cutting back on a cheaper loaf of bread to save money, why not compare energy prices online and see if you could be saving on your monthly bills too.

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Today’s marketplace has made the stay-at-home mom more able to plan a profitable and manageable business venture even as she juggles other responsibilities at home, such as taking care of the kids, planning meals, and keeping house.

Here are some great money making ideas that stay-at-home mompreneurs can explore:

• Look into telecommuting. A lot of female employees have to leave their current jobs because they are having children and choosing to raise their kids, but many companies who are not willing to part with quality, dependable talent make arrangements for telecommuting or remote work from home. If you are still employed and planning to leave in the near future, ask your supervisor or human resources department if telecommuting opportunities are available.

• Offer babysitting services. For moms whose kids are in school most of the daytime, babysitting for neighbors or extended family can be a great at-home income generator. You can spread the word about your babysitting availability through social networking, phone, or e-mail.

• Start tutoring. Your knowledge and skills in piano, violin, baking, cooking, sign language, and other topics can be used for generating additional monthly income. Perhaps there are kids in your community who need additional help with geometry, chemistry, English, or other subjects in school; professional tutors can be quite expensive, so you can offer a competitive rate and possibly grow your tutoring service. Or if you live in a multi-cultural community, there may be opportunities to teach English as well.

• Pet care or pet sitting. If you are an animal lover yourself, you would be surprised at how many people in your neighborhood are looking for help with taking care of their pets, especially if they have really busy schedules. Offer to walk or feed pets during the daytime, or watch people’s pets when they are on vacation. If you have the space for it, such as a large backyard, you can probably start a pet boarding business as well (local business permits may apply).

• Fire up your computer. The possibility of finding online jobs is now more viable thanks to well-developed technology and Internet infrastructure widely available. Skills you may have picked up or developed in the corporate world can be used to market yourself in the online marketplace as a copywriter, virtual assistant, bookkeeper, graphic designer, Web designer, video editor, blogger, social media manager, and a variety of other online jobs.

• Plan events. Were you the ultimate party enthusiast in high school or college? Or perhaps you really enjoy planning dinners, birthday celebrations, and other occasions. You can start offering your services as an event planner, wedding coordinator, etc. This is ideal if you have some free time that you can use for shopping and personal meetings, although much of the tasks can be accomplished at home.

• Sell your stuff online. Online marketplace communities such as Etsy allow you to set up your virtual store conveniently, bypassing much of the infrastructure and paperwork necessary if you want to start a physical store. Do you have pottery, jewelry, clothing, accessories, art work, sculptures, lotions, perfumes, or other stuff that you can make? Selling them online can be the start of a financially rewarding business venture for you.

Most of us have been in that predicament where we needed to raise some cash quickly, easily, and legally. Perhaps you are between paydays and just needing some quick cash to hold you over, or have an emergency expenditure that is not within your budget. Or for a lot of people, the monthly income just isn’t enough to be able to live comfortably or to cover all expenses, so an additional source of money is necessary.

Here are several ways you can earn money quickly or garner an additional source of money:

Rent out your space

Do you have an extra room in your house or apartment? Getting a boarder would be a great use of the extra space (with the necessary background checks for potential renters, of course). Or if you live in an apartment close to a major public venue such as a stadium, shopping center, or business district, consider parking your car further away and then renting out your own parking space.

Garage sale

Chances are, you have clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture items, and other items that are gathering dust around the house or a storage unit somewhere. Stuff you don’t need anymore might just be stuff that other people would be willing to pay for. A yard sale is a great way to earn some cash quickly; you don’t need a business license or an office space to lease either, as your yard will do just fine.

Sell stuff online

Having a hard time selling your collection of LFO cassettes or CDs from the ’90′s? Someone, somewhere online might be looking for these, so posting ads on Craigslist, eBay, or other online selling and auction sites would be your next best option. Or if you have a hobby of creating jewelry, designing t-shirts, creating trinkets, concocting perfumes and body lotions, and making other arts, crafts, or personal items, you can sign up with e-commerce sites such as Etsy and sell your stuff on the Web.

Sign up for overtime

Some workplaces offer overtime, while others don’t. Find out if your office or company offers overtime, and ask your immediate supervisor how you can sign up for it. At my former employer, it overtime wasn’t in the company policy, but if you asked, the manager would pull strings for you.

A couple of hours of overtime every day translates to an additional 8-10 hours each week, so it is like working an extra day (but it won’t feel like it). Also, if you have a usual 9-5 work schedule, staying a couple hours later at the office would mean by the time you are headed home, the rush hour has passed and you would encounter less traffic.

Look for a second job

An additional part-time job should be something that is not too physically or mentally demanding that it leaves you exhausted or affects your main job. An excellent idea would be to explore work-from-home jobs online; they offer additional income but don’t require to leave home or commute some more. There are many opportunities for online work in the fields of freelance writing, graphic design, website development, customer service, medical transcription and billing, search engine optimization, and other administration support or Web marketing tasks.

If directed towards the right money making ideas and motivations, teens’ entrepreneurial skills and plans can become financially viable and lead to possibly long-term business options.

Teens who start learning business early also take away a lot of lessons in analysis, people relations, and resourcefulness that they will be able to use the rest of their lives.

What are some money making ideas that are excellent for teenagers?

• Offer group services – A lot of people are wary about hiring a teenager who walks up to their doorstep alone because it can look suspicious, but a group of teenagers working together looks safer and more legitimate. Get together with your friends and start a babysitting service, house cleaning service, or other odd jobs and errands for neighbors or residents in your community.

• Sell baked goodies – Most people find it hard to resist baked cookies, pies, cakes, and other pastries, especially if they are hot and fresh from the oven. If you have the talent to whip up heavenly baked products, use this skill to make some money and grow your business.

• Sell your arts and crafts online – Are you artistic or into crafts and other projects? The Internet offers plenty of resources for you to be able to market your crafts to the vast online audience, increasing your chances of financial success. Start with a few niche items that you are really good at, and then slowly increase the product selection as your revenue increases.

• Become your parents’ yard sale or eBay trading assistant – If your parents have a lot of stuff they are looking to sell, you can offer to be their sales assistant. Set up a yard sale and get the word out using flyers and invitations. On eBay and other online trading sites, you can offer to be the broker or selling assistant, and then get a percentage of every sale made.

• Start a recycling service – If your community does not have an organized recycling pick-up and drop-off process (many areas do not), this is a great way for you to earn some money and help the environment as well. For a fee, ask neighbors and homeowners to sign up for your recycle pick-up list; every week, you will pick up their items for recycling, and then take everything you collect to a local recycling facility where you can usually get cash for these items also.

• Participate in studies or focus groups – The teen market is very lucrative for retailers, so they are always looking for ways to better connect and market to this segment of the consumer market. Look for focus groups or studies in your area where your opinion and suggestions are needed.

• Tutoring – There may be younger students in your neighborhood who need additional help in Math, Science, English or other subjects that you are proficient in. For a fee, you can offer to help them after school; this is a great way to be involved in another person’s life, and teaches you patience as well. Also check out money making ideas for college students!

   

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History is full of many success stories of individuals with an enterprising spirit, a desire to break free from the corporate cycle, and the courage to pursue their own vision. In fact, there is a good likelihood that the company you are currently working for started as some entrepreneur’s dream or family’s line of business that eventually grew and became profitable.

Whether you are looking for additional sources of income, or you are in the market for full-time employment, there are plenty of money making ideas around you that you can glean ideas from or get inspiration for an enterprise or home-based business of your own.

The Internet has opened the doors for various opportunities for freelancing, creative input, and stay-at-home business ideas, and with the new economy having a content-driven atmosphere, you are sure to find some avenue to make money just by being resourceful, patient, creative, and aware of the latest trends and demands.

Below are some simple money making ideas you can look into:

• Home staging business – One of the effects of the recession of the last few years is the sheer number of homes being sold by owners. Home staging, or the practice of preparing a home visually using interior decorating principles for selling success, is a low-cost start-up opportunity for those with an eye for detail and love for home decoration.

• Medical billing/transcription – Technology has allowed medical billing and transcription jobs to be managed and performed remotely. If you have experience in this segment of the health care industry, you can set up a home-based medical billing and transcription service and network with physicians or even established health care firms.

• Virtual assistant services – This is one of the fastest-growing segments of home-based online enterprises. Companies are looking to reduce costs by outsourcing much of the back office tasks and activities that can be done remotely. Those with prior experience in office administration work or secretarial tasks have particular advantage because they are familiar with the necessary skills.

• Homemade greeting cards – You can design greeting cards for Christmas, birthdays, graduations, and other important occasions, and offer personalized designs or messages. Mailed-out greeting cards are still around, but consider making this an online enterprise as well; a lot of people prefer e-greeting cards.

• Teach an online course – What skills or specialties are you very knowledgeable of and have the background to teach? People are looking for online sources of learning, and you may be able to find a niche where you an expert, and demand is high. Are you fluent in a second or third language? Online classes can be done via webcam, or video tutorials.

• Be a mystery shopper – Companies are looking for mystery shoppers who visit different establishments as regular customers, such as restaurants, stores, or other businesses in a given area, and then provide feedback and reviews regarding the establishments they visited. You get paid for being a customer and having an opinion, and get to enjoy many freebies and privileges as well.

Looking for more cool money making ideas? Check out these other articles:

• 5 Best “Work-From-Home” Money Making Ideas
• Money Making Ideas for College Students

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With the growth of the Internet, entrepreneurs and talented professionals are presented with a vast array of money making ideas to market their skills, expertise, and creativity in an increasingly content-driven global marketplace.

Today’s remote work professionals and entrepreneurs are willing to take risks and start with less income in order to position themselves for a more profitable, income-generating and stable enterprise right from their home offices.

What are some of the most common and profitable work-from-home opportunities currently?

#1. Online store owner

You can set up an online retail store using a variety of e-commerce options, PayPal, and other tools for Web entrepreneurs. What to sell? Your own arts and crafts, artwork, pottery, bath and body products, homemade greeting cards, and other creations would be great, if you can find a niche for them on the Web and gain a following. Web store owners also utilize social media and other Internet marketing tools to increase exposure and branding.

#2. Virtual assistant

One of the most common work-from-home opportunities today is offering virtual assistance services to small businesses, companies, telecommunications firms, and other entities needing help with customer service, online and social media marketing, consulting, financial expertise, bookkeeping, graphic design, copywriting, Web content production, and other tasks.

Once you have an established network or client base, you can even expand the enterprise and form a VA team, which is more competitive and attractive to major companies.

#3. Tutor

You can market your skills and turn them into a potentially lucrative financial enterprise. Those with education degrees and teaching experience can make money on the side by tutoring elementary or high school students who need additional help with certain subjects.

If you play any musical instruments, the demand for piano, guitar, violin, cello, drum, or flute instructors is always around. Another option for tutoring is online teaching; you can set up a webcam and share your knowledge and skills to a global classroom on the Web.

#4. Information Expert

Closely related to tutoring, becoming an information expert is another popular work-from-home enterprise. You can position yourself as an expert on pet care, house cleaning, college application essays, business startups, films, indie music artists, or any other niche or category out there. Information experts produce online courses, webinars, conference calls, eBooks, websites, and other information materials.

#5. Neighborhood Jack-of-all-trades

What errands and tasks are in high demand around your community? Big lawns need landscaping or lawn care; young couples require babysitting help from time to time; busy homeowners are looking for help with housecleaning or interior design.

Identify what is in demand and market yourself as someone who can help out; this can also be a group project, where you and several of your friends can perform the tasks and split up the earnings.

Comparison Shop

Don’t settle for the first quote you receive from an insurance company. Shopping around can help you find big savings. Many major insurance companies offer free quotes on their websites. You can also call local insurance agents for additional information and quotes. Consult at least three different companies before you make your final selection.

Check Your Credit Report

Insurance companies consider your credit report when calculating your quote. A poor credit report could significantly impact the quotes that you receive. Check your credit report regularly to look for errors that could bring your credit score down. If you find an error, contact the credit bureaus to fix your report. Be sure to work on building positive credit by paying down your debts and practicing good financial habits.

Upgrade Your Vehicle

Before you start shopping for quotes, consider adding a few minor upgrades to your car. For example, a car alarm can reduce your risk of theft. For a major discount, consider installing a GPS tracking device, such as LoJack. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, choose a safe and dependable vehicle instead of a flashy sports car or a massive SUV. Safe and sensible vehicles are cheaper to insure.

Ask about Discounts

If you talk to an insurance agent on the phone, ask about any available discounts. Insurance companies offer a wide selection of discounts, including good student discounts, senior discounts and more. Additionally, many car insurance companies offer other types of insurance, including homeowners insurance. Most companies will give you a significant discount to all of your insurance policies if you bundle them together. Some car insurance companies also offer a lower rate if you agree to take a defensive driving course. If you belong to certain organizations, including alumni groups and credit unions, you may qualify for additional discounts.

Reduce Your Coverage

If you are willing to eliminate some coverage options from your policy, you can get a lower quote. For example, if you drive an older car, you may want to pass on getting expensive coverage options, such as comprehensive insurance. You can also eliminate perks from your insurance policy, such as roadside assistance or rental car coverage.

Change Your Commute

During the quote process, car insurance companies will usually ask you how much you drive each day. If you find a car insurance company that offers a discount if you only drive a few miles a day, consider changing your daily commute. Try taking the bus, carpooling or biking to work to help you save money on insurance.

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Of course, your living expenses have to be figured into the equation as well, such as dorm or apartment costs, transportation, food, clothing, and entertainment. We’re not even talking yet about the college loans you will have to continue paying long after you graduate.

Since college is a time of learning, after all, it is also one of the best places that a person can learn to be resourceful and creative in earning money. Usual money making ideas for college students, such as on-campus jobs or off-campus part-time employment, are still viable, but often not enough to meet demand; in many areas, you are also competing with others looking for employment who are not necessarily students, and in this tough employment market, the options can be limited.

Ideas for College Students to Make Money

Here are some creative money making ideas you can explore as you go through college:

1. Find online freelancing jobs. If you have writing, programming, blogging, or other online content production and design skills, you may be able to get freelance gigs on established sites such as Elance and Odesk. Hours are flexible and great for balancing with your classes. Best of all, you can stay in your dorm room while working, which means less transportation costs.
2. Be a tutor. What subjects do you excel at? You may be able to teach someone on campus who needs additional help. If you have contacts with local area schools, you may even be able to help grade school or high school students who need extra instruction in basic subjects. Online tutoring is also an option you can look into with the use of webcams or chat rooms.
3. Offer odd job services. People are always looking for others to help them with landscaping or mowing the lawn, babysitting on certain nights or weekends, house cleaning, and other chores and tasks. Market yourself as an all-around guy for errands and tasks; it builds character and work ethic, and you also learn basic entrepreneurial skills.
4. Become a personal trainer. Are you a fitness enthusiast? Most college campuses have fitness centers frequented by students, and you may be able to offer your services as a fitness trainer. More into yoga, tai chi, meditation, or martial arts? These are popular with college students as well; set up a class, collect a fee, and become an instructor.
5. Deliver newspapers. Despite the continuing growth of online media, newspapers are still being delivered to loyal subscribers every day. Newspaper delivery is usually done very early in the morning, so this would likely not be a conflict with your class schedules.
6. Design cool T-shirts. Web sites such as Zazzle.com are constantly accepting cool, witty, funny T-shirt designs and ideas. If they accept yours, you get a percentage of every sale.
7. Set up an online store. E-commerce has made it easier for anyone to find a niche and start an online business. Figure out products that you can make that are in demand; perhaps partnering with other friends on campus would be a great idea. An online store does take up more time for marketing and customer service, so you’ll have to manage your time carefully.

Hopefully these money making ideas have helped you or at least got you thinking of other great ways to defray some of those college expenses!

Resources, tools, and helpful apps for shopping savings are relatively easy to find and figure out, if you have the patience to look at the different options and decide which ones work best for your shopping needs. Some savings strategies such as store coupons have been around for a long time, but have recently experienced a resurgence because of the rising prices of food and basic grocery items in the midst of stagnant wages and economic uncertainty. Many reality TV shows have even been produced around the “couponing” fad which has become a trend among thrifty shoppers.

Online coupons

Like their paper counterparts, online coupons allow shoppers to avail of special prices and discounts on certain items offered by retailers and manufacturers. Online coupons, however, are typically used for Web shopping; most coupons are exclusively for online offers only, although there are also printable coupons that shoppers can use in-store. The rise of online shopping can be attributed mostly to the convenience it offers as well as the amount of choices offered, but online shopping also offers plenty of savings and cost-effective purchasing selections.

Most consumers are still buying food and grocery items from their neighborhood stores, but the bulk of online shopping has been in the electronics, home accessories, and clothing categories.

Feed Hungry Children While Saving Money

Screen Capture of Save1′s meal count.

I came across an awesome couponing site that I wanted to share with you called Save1.com. They put a really neat spin on couponing, and this is how it works:

• You use a coupon from Save1 to save some money.
• They get a small commission for you using the coupon.
• They buy a meal for a child in need through one of their partners.

As of the writing of this article, they have provided 97,432 meals to hungry children! That’s pretty awesome. If you want to make someone’s life better while saving money, then I think that Save1 is the best coupon site you can find at the moment.

Store sales

Waiting for store sales events can be a great way to save on your purchases, however, you need to be able to figure out which “sales events” are really just marketing techniques, and which ones are legitimate money-saving events. End-of-season sales are usually very budget-friendly, although you may have to wait until at least next year to be able to use the clothing you buy. Clearance sales and store closing sales are other great ways to get rock-bottom prices on items, especially furniture, electronics, and home décor.

If you have the patience for it, the holiday sales events after Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the biggest shopping days especially for big-ticket purchases such as electronics and home entertainment products. You may have to stand in line (and in bitter winter cold) for a couple of hours while waiting for the store to open, but the discounts are substantial. Of course, many of these deals are also matched or almost comparable online, if you prefer to be warm and toasty while getting great shopping deals.

Shopping Apps

If you have a smartphone, you can use mobile shopping apps to help you get the best prices on items you are purchasing. RedLaser and ShopStyle are two popular apps that work on both iOS and Android phones; they both offer tools for getting the lowest available prices on the items you are purchasing in your area, listing different stores and comparing published cost.

Get the most out of your credit card’s money back benefits.

Everyone is looking for ways to get a little extra money, but often some of the simplest ways are the ones we overlook.

Many credit cards are offering a variety of incentives to get people to sign up for their cards.

Sometimes they offer to give you your credit score free while others offer a certain percentage of your money back.

There are a few tricks you can take to get the most out of your money back guarantees and save even more.

Always Sign Up

Most money back guarantees on credit cards have two layers. Discover, for instance, offers a base percentage as a guaranteed money back, meaning that you get between 1 and 2 percent back as long as you use the Discover card to pay for the item. They then offer a second layer where you can sign up for additional specials which give an increased percentage for spending money on certain categories such as travel, groceries, or clothing.

Make sure that you take the time to sign up for all of the second layer guarantees. You may not think that you will likely spend a lot on that category, but every little bit helps. To keep track of these, check back on the website each month when you go to pay your bills to ensure that you sign up for all of the available benefits.

Focus on Using One Card

To get the most out of your money back benefits from your credit card, try to focus on using one card. It’s not uncommon for them to have a minimum transfer amount. Some cards even have additional benefits if you use a certain amount on your card each month. For instance, USAA offered an increased percentage back over the November – December months for those who spent more than $2000 on their credit card.

For store only benefits such as the ones you would get from a Sears, Best Buy, or Kohl’s card, however, you can use the particular cards for those stores and reap those benefits.

Request Direct Cash Transfer

Most of these money back guarantees allow you to request a direct cash transfer to your bank account or to a gift card. A little known fact which most people do not notice is that when they purchase gift cards, they pay for more than the amount that they get. Standard fees are from between a $1 – $3 processing fee, which means that for a $25 gift card you will spend between $26 and $28.

Different locations and different cards may have even higher rates. These rates are not displayed on the order page. They typically only appear on the final page, and they may be classified as taxes. This is not the case with direct cash transfers with most cards. However, you should always read the fine print for any hidden fees.  This should typically be classified under Fees, Costs, Pricings, or Details in the fine print of the contract.